Overview

Having a Biblical foundation upon which a pastor, elder or church leader can build an effective ministry is crucial. Sometimes, individuals are called to vocational ministry and have not completed a bachelor's degree. Completing an undergraduate degree first simply to qualify for a seminary masters' degree is not a good option for many. The 30-hour Certificate in Biblical Studies provides ten excellent courses in Bible, ministry and spiritual life. Though the Certificate in Biblical Studies is not as thorough as the MA in Local Church Ministry nor as comprehensive as the M.Div., it is still an excellent combination of courses which will greatly assist those who minister in the local church.

Courses

TH5010 Systematic Theology I

An introduction to theology and its sources. Foundations will be laid in the areas of Prolegomena, Bibliology, Theology Proper, Christology, Pneumatology, and Angelology.

TH5020 Systematic Theology II

A survey of the following basic areas of Theology: Anthropology, Hamartiology, Soteriology, Ecclesiology, and Eschatology.

TH5110 Hermeneutics

Designed to present the history of and to acquaint the student with the main principles of biblical interpretation, and to introduce background material about the historical, cultural and linguistic milieu out of which the Bible came. It includes case studies in order to practice developing biblical insights for confronting today’s problems.

NT5020 New Testament Introduction

This course introduces the New Testament with special reference to background, historical setting, literary composition, theology, and message. After successfully completing this course, the student should be able to demonstrate a knowledge of background issues which introduce one to the study of various concepts of the New Testament, the historical milieu of each New Testament book studied, the purpose and general content of each New Testament book studied, the relationship between the New and Old Testaments, and the use of the New Testament in modern ministry.

OT5000 Old Testament Introduction

An introduction to the Old Testament with special reference to background, historical setting, literary composition, theology and message. After successfully completing this course, the student should be able to demonstrate a knowledge of background issues which introduce one to the study of various concepts of the Old Testament, the historical milieu of each Old Testament book studied, the purpose and general content of each Old Testament book studied, the use of the Old Testament in modern ministry, and the foundation the Old Testament provides for the New Testament.

Faculty

The individuals who will challenge you to learn:

Jeffrey Gill, B.S., M.Div., D.Min., Ph.D.

Vice President & Dean, School of Ministry Studies; Professor of Pastoral Ministries

Education History

About

Dr. Jeffrey Gill was the senior pastor of the Delaware, Ohio Grace Brethren Church for 20 years (1982-2002). He started at the church when it was little more than a church plant. It experienced substantial growth over the years and is now well-known in the FGBC as a healthy and influential church body. He assumed the role of Dean of Grace Theological Seminary in July, 2002. In 2008, he was named Dean of the School of Ministry Studies, which includes both the Seminary and the undergraduate Biblical Studies Department at Grace. He was the National Moderator of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches in 2002. He and his wife, Kathy, have two grown daughters.

Education History

About

Dr. Matt Harmon brings a passion to equip people to encounter Christ through the Scriptures and lead others to do so as well. His research interests include the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament, Biblical Theology, Pauline studies, and the life/ministry/theology of Jonathan Edwards. He served as full-time staff with Campus Crusade for Christ for eight years, doing evangelism and discipleship with college students. He taught courses at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Wheaton College, as well in the local church. On a regular basis, Dr. Harmon also teaches for Campus Crusade for Christ, helping to train staff in interpreting and teaching Scripture. In his spare time, Dr. Harmon also teaches training workshops for Bibleworks. He is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society for Biblical Literature. Dr. Harmon is married to Kate and has two sons.

Christy Hill, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.

Professor of Spiritual Formation and Women's Ministries

Education History

B.A. in Christian Education, Wheaton College; M.A. in Christian Education, Talbot School of Theology; Ph.D. in Educational Studies (Character Development and Spiritual Formation), Talbot School of Theology

About

Dr. Hill brings her passion and training in spiritual formation to facilitate the holistic development of students while at Grace. Her research interests include personal and interpersonal development with empirical work conducted in the area of adult attachment styles and relationship with God variables. She taught at Biola University and Talbot School of Theology before coming to Grace in 2006. While she focuses primarily in women's ministries, she has served in a variety of leadership roles cross-culturally, in the local church, and in the para-church context. Dr. Hill has developed a number of Bible study materials, published in the Christian Education Journal and presented research findings at the North American Professors of Christian Education Conference, a society of which she is a board member. Dr. Hill is married to Jim, who also teaches at Grace in the prison extension program.

Rock M. LaGioia, B.A., M.Div., Th.M., D.Min.

Associate Professor of Pastor Studies, Director of Doctor of Ministry Program

About

Dr. Rock LaGioia serves as Associate Professor of Pastoral Studies and Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at Grace Theological Seminary. A member of the Association for Doctor of Ministry Education, the Evangelical Homiletics Society, and the Evangelical Theological Society, Dr. LaGioia has written a variety of articles and book reviews. He has taught college, seminary, and doctoral courses in Bible, Preaching, and Theology at Moody Bible Institute, Taylor University, Grace College, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Huntington University Graduate School and Grace Theological Seminary. Dr. Rock has previously served as Associate Professor of Theology at Grace. Involved in pastoral work since 1987, he frequently preaches and teaches at a variety of venues. Rock and his wife Kathy have two sons Mike and Andrew who are both students Grace College.

Education History

About

Dr. Roger Peugh came to Grace in the fall of 1989 with three years of pastoral experience followed by 20 years of missionary experience as a church planter in Germany. While at Grace, he was involved as an elder in a church plant for 13 years. He is an active Bible conference speaker as well as guest-lecturer in several German Bible schools. In addition to his role as Professor in the School of Ministry Studies, Dr. Peugh serves Grace College as Campus Prayer Coordinator and is serving as the Interim Dean of Chapel. Dr. Peugh, who has authored on the topic of prayer, is married to Nancy and they have four children and eight grandchildren.

Tiberius Rata, B.S., M.Div., Ph.D.

Professor of Old Testament Studies; Chair, Department of Biblical Studies

About

Dr. Rata came to Grace Theological Seminary from Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama, where he served as Assistant Professor of Divinity. Before that he taught at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois, and Emmanuel Baptist University in Oradea, Romania. He has also pastored churches in California and Alabama, and served as an interim pastor in Michigan and Indiana. He is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Institute for Biblical Research and has presented papers at the national conventions of the Evangelical Theological Society. Dr. Rata is chair of the undergraduate Department of Biblical Studies. He and his wife, Carmen, have two sons.

About

Dr. Mark Soto teaches in the School of Ministry Studies and is the program director for the M.A. in Ministry Studies Program. His background in curriculum design enables him to provide faculty development and training in this area. He works extensively with the institution's hybrid-online programs having completed a M.S. in Instructional Design for Online Learning at Capella University. Prior to coming to Grace College, he has served the church in leadership roles for 25 years. He also served as a part of the Grace College Student Life staff as the Associate Dean of Men before assuming a full-time faculty position. Dr. Soto and his wife, Carol, have two grown daughters and two wonderful grandchildren.

Tom Stallter, B.A., Th.M., D.Miss.

Professor of Intercultural Studies

Education History

About

Dr. Tom Stallter has 18 years of missionary experience in the Central African Republic and Chad in the areas of church planting and development, leadership training, mission administration, and famine and economic relief. In addition to his teaching in the School of Ministry Studies, Dr. Stallter is the Executive Director of the institution's GTS Center for Korean Studies. Areas of research for Dr. Stallter include cultural intelligence, business as mission, multicultural worship, ethics in missions, cultural values, cultural identity assessment, culture discovery, and matching missionary candidates to contexts. He is a member of the Evangelical Missiological Society and the National Ministerium of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. Dr. Stallter and his wife, Sharon, have three grown children and one granddaughter.

Careers

Some of the positions you can obtain:

Youth Pastor

A Youth Pastor is concerned with today's youth and leads teenagers in their spiritual and personal development. They need to possess great leadership qualities and experience in sharing Gods word with teenagers. They lead the youth activities, outreach programs and youth services within the church and often work with motivating and training other staff members. A youth minister should be disciplined, self-motivated, organized, possess good communication skills, spiritual maturity, have a good understanding of the Bible, demonstrate Godly character and lead by example.

Children's Pastor

Being a Children's Pastor is not very different from being the senior pastor of a church. A Children's Pastor ministers specifically to the children of the congregation from nursery age to high school.